Review: Batch 19 Beer

Curious about that new brew on tap at your local watering hole? MillerCoors is testing a new beer called Batch 19 in just five cities (Chicago, Milwaukee, San Francisco, San Jose, and Washington DC) and in limited quantities. According to the company, Batch 19 is based on a pre-Prohibition recipe found in brewery archives predating…

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Review: Bacardi Classic Cocktails Strawberry Daiquiri and Pina Colada

So-called “instant” cocktails don’t have to be bad. I mean, they usually are, but they don’t have to be. Bacardi, which makes a pretty good instant mojito, has now released two new pre-mixed cocktail flavors, a strawberry daiquiri and a pina colada. As with the mojito flavor, these use real ingredients, not malt liquor and…

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Review: Camarena Tequila Silver and Reposado (2010)

This tequila is just arriving in the U.S., but the family behind it (Familia Camarena, natch) claims six generations of tequila-making experience. Farmed in the Los Altos Highlands region of Jalisco, this 100% agave spirit arrives in two varieties to start (sorry, no anejo), both big bargains. Both 80 proof. Camarena Silver is intensely peppery…

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Is Duty Free Ever a Good Deal?

International travelers, you know the drill: You can bring in up to one liter of booze without paying the duty on it. And if they have a special name for it (“the duty!”), that must be a lot of cash, right? Hence the existence of duty free shops in every international airport on earth. But…

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Tasting the Wines of Bolgheri, 2010 Releases

During my visit to Ornellaia, I also had the chance to sample three other wines from the neighborhood, comparing them in the relatively controlled environment of a local wine and salumi joint. Some thoughts follow: 2007 Ornellaia – I’ve covered this one extensively here, but noted more rich chocolate character in this tasting of a…

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Visiting Tuscany’s Tenuta dell’Ornellaia

Tenuta dell’Ornellaia is a major and increasingly important name in super-Tuscan wines. With its neighbor Sassicaia right down the street, these two define the Bolgheri area of Italy and own completely the bragging rights as this region’s top wine producers. Mere miles from the Mediterranean Sea, Ornellaia began its life in 1981 and now produces…

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Review: The Lash Spiced Rum

For some reason, Drinkhacker readers adore spiced rum. They drink it, they comment, they debate it. They love this stuff. And yet there aren’t that many spiced rums on the market, so when a new one arrives, they pounce on the stuff like phony handbag salesmen on tourists. The Lash is a rum with a…

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Review: 2006 Ruffino Modus Toscana IGT

In Italy, Modus is everywhere. Seriously, you can’t escape it. I even encountered a kiosk at the airport in Florence where a guy was offering samples of the stuff. What’s the fuss all about? This Sangiovese (50%), Cabernet Sauvignon (25%), Merlot (25%) blend has a hefty Bordeaux character, offering moderate and dusty earthiness that interplays…

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